WORLD FAIR TRADE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHES THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEE LABEL FOR FAIR TRADE

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) guarantees organisations that meet the ever-growing consumers’ demand for ethical, more sustainable products. An organisation needs to respect the international Fair Trade Standard in order to be recognised as a Guaranteed Fair Trade Organisation.

Frankfurt, 13 February 2016 – The WFTO Label – the first international label that guarantees Fair Trade Organisations operating in any part of the supply chain, from producers to retailers – has been unveiled. With this unique Fair Trade label, consumers will be able to identify products in the international marketplace that meet high economic, social and environmental sustainability criteria. Fair Trade Organisations are fully committed to sustainable production and trade.

The label is backed by a robust and credible Guarantee System. By guaranteeing the organisation as a ‘Fair Trade Organisation’, the WFTO label meets the ever-growing consumers’ demand for a more trustworthy scheme in the international market, which guarantees that handicraft products are produced and traded according to ethical and Fair Trade standards.

Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, transparency and accountability, payment of a fair price, no child labour or forced labour, long-term trading relations, gender equity and women’s economic empowerment, freedom of association, good working conditions, capacity-building, and respect for the environment are the principles of Fair Trade that organizations should adhere to in order to comply with the Guarantee System and use the WFTO label on their products. The label can be put on packaging or tags of handicraft and food products as an assurance that the products are produced and/or traded by guaranteed Fair Trade Organisations whose practices are checked against these 10 Fair Trade principles globally acknowledged.

“There are no international public regulations for the certification of Fair Trade products. Private entities can deliberately set up their own criteria and certify single products without considering the practices of the company that sells these products”Rudi Dalvai, President of WFTO explains. “That is why it is of utmost importance to have a label that allows consumers to clearly identify the organisations who are 100% committed to Fair Trade.”

Based on more than 50 years of experience on Fair Trade, the new WFTO label represents an important step towards the recognition that an alternative economic model, more humane and sustainable at different levels, is actually possible. By buying products carrying the new WFTO label, traders and consumers can make a concrete contribution to create a more just world, to help fight poverty, social injustice and discrimination, to support economically disadvantaged small producers, and to promote the rights of people and respect for the environment.

Today, more than 50 Fair Trade Organisations are already guaranteed and can use the WFTO label. More than 230 in over 70 different countries are underway.

ABOUT WFTO

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) is a global network of organisations representing the Fair Trade supply chain. Membership in WFTO provides Fair Trade organisations with credibility and identity by way of an international guarantee system, a place of learning where members connect with like-minded people from around the world, tools and training to increase market access, and a common voice that speaks out for Fair Trade and trade justice – and is heard.

WFTO is the home of fair traders: producers, marketers, exporters, importers, wholesalers and retailers that demonstrate 100% commitment to Fair Trade and apply the 10 WFTO Principles of Fair Trade to their supply chain. The works and achievements of its members make WFTO a global authority on Fair Trade and a guardian of Fair Trade values and principles.

WFTO’s route to equity in trade is through the integrated supply chain. Practices used across the supply chain are checked against the WFTO Fair Trade Standard, a set of compliance criteria based on the 10 Fair Trade Principles and on International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

The WFTO operates in over 70 countries across 5 regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America and the Pacific Rim) with elected global and regional boards.

More information about the WFTO guarantee system and the 60 years of Fair Trade history can be found on our website: http://www.wfto.com

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